God's Power

I read the story of David and Goliath this morning. I have read this story many times but something new struck me this morning about it. The principle that God overcomes even the greatest odds. That not matter what your personal weakness is, no matter how many times you have fallen prey to the enemy, God will still show up. Even when it seems you are a small Shepperd boy with a stick standing against a giant warrior. God says He will be made strong in our weaknesses we just need to rely on Him.

Time at the Lake

I forgot to post about our time at the lake. My wife and I had the opportunity to hang out with some old friends awhile back at the lake in the Disney area. We had allot of fun. Christina went tubing with me and then I went by myself (she doesn't like to go fast). I also got to do a little skiing. It was the most fun I have had in a long time. Way Cool.

Dorsey Dump Trailer

This too can be yours for a very low price of a new tractor and very well build trailer. OK so maybe that's not a low cost. Anyway dad and I moved some dirt yesterday from the old church up to the new church and since we don't own a dump truck or dump trailer dad decided to improvise. It worked with a little bit of straightening the hitch pin when we were done, but at least we did not have to shovel the three trailer loads off. :) For all those watching please don't try this at your home or church.

New Additions to our Family

Yea I have added a couple new additions to our family. My wife is OK with it so I am moving forward with my plans. No baby's yet but some fun stuff for me. Allot of work but I now have an old golf cart that I am fixing up. It will be a long road but I will try to keep everyone up on my progress. So far I bought a $50 hub so the thing would move, the old one was stripped out and the axle just spun inside of it. Dad and I cut a board to sit on and I had to do some clean up and repair on the wires for the batteries but she moves now. Still no brakes as both lines are either disconnected or broke. I also removed a set of screwed on rigged up seats that were attached to the back of the cart, WOW, Talk about trashy looking. I need a name for our newest toy maybe "Zeke" I have always liked that name and since my wife swears we will never have a child named that maybe our golf cart will do. Long live Zeke may he run "long time". :) Plus I am still growing my baby's they are getting big. I was told they grow up so fast but this is just cool. So I am including a picture of them as well. There is a red bud, a dogwood, a Washington Hawthorne, and crepe merdle. They are going to add color to my yard when they get big enough.

Time with Friends

I spent some time yesterday with friends. I was supporting them as they went through a court proceeding. It was a fun time for me but a very difficult time for them with the uncertainty of how everything would turn out. I enjoyed it because I always enjoy time with friends no matter what the circumstance. Everything turned out great for them and at the end of the day everyone was excited at what God could do though present circumstances. Good times, and congrats again to my friends on winning their case.

That Sore Feeling

Yea I am living through that right now. When you do some hard labor you haven't done for awhile and the next day you feel like you pulled muscles you didn't even have before that's where I am now. Somewhere between ouch and ooch. Glad to take some time today to rest.

Can you tell I like Community Outreach?

I love community outreach. My brother is a welder, he is really good. God gave him that talent. My sister is a cosmetologist and she is good at it. God gave her that talent. Me I am a associate pastor and a handyman. God gave me my talent. I found myself telling a stranger the other day what I do. I told her I was a associate pastor who specialized in small churches who needed a pastor, lawn mower, handyman, plumber. I forgot to add roofer and semi-fair carpenter, but I think she got the point because she asked where I lived apparently her church was looking for a pastor. Not yet. Its not Gods timing. But God has given everyone the talents they have. What talents has God given you? Time management, organization, budgeting, good with your hands, ability to think through a problem, what has God given you?

How much is too much

So I like to help people. Spiritually most of all but physically (community outreach) also. I like to get into peoples worlds and mess with their priorities because in my opinion (and the bibles) their priorities are wrong and I know if they get them straightened out they will have a better life. Thus the help them scenario. But it is not easy to break into some peoples worlds. I try to get in and they shut me out. The walls are too high to climb and too thick to break through. I could camp on their front porch but that just makes me a stalker not a pastor. So I am left trying to find ways through the front gates. The best thing I have going for me is patience. If you are around long enough when your needed your opportunity arises and you can speak truth into their lives.

One reason I do what I do. :)

It amazes me that even when you want to help someone with no strings attached you still have to earn the right. I do allot of Community Outreach through the church I work at and attend. I love it, its awesome but I am always amazed when you offer to help someone with no requirements on their part and they turn you down. It's like we live in a world that doesn't understand "no strings attached" or "just want to bless you". Why would you tell someone no who just wants to do something for you FOR FREE. Its because in our world people have been taken advantage of so many times that they don't trust anyone even Christians. You have to earn the right to work for someone for free because you have to earn their trust that you are not trying to take advantage of them. That is one reason why I do what I do.

In Charge

I am "In Charge" this week as my senior pastors are out of town. I am a analytical personality type that sees everything in black and white, very little gray. However, I am learning there is gray areas or maybe we should call them Grace areas. So I was reading about King Saul this morning and a oath he made. He charged the soldiers in his country to not eat all day until "He" was avenged, sounds like pride to me. The soldiers did not eat until they were done but then they were staving and ate meat "with the blood". I think that means raw but I did not study it out. Anyway the point was whatever it means that it was wrong for the to do at that time. They were sinning against God and the hardship their King (leadership) put them under drove them to it. They were big boys they knew it was wrong and it was their decision but the unGodly oath the king made placed them in a bad situation, and set them up for failure. Life's Lesson # whatever I lost count by now but it struck me the importance of knowing what you are doing before you do it as a leader you can set people up for failure. As a side note they won the battle and all got to eat later. Saul stopped everyone from sinning and life went on (1 Samuel 14).

Even More Community Outreach

I love the feeling of helping people. Somehow God built us with this deep seated satisfaction thank comes from really putting forth some effort in helping someone. I spent the morning helping the mayor of our small community pick up some brush we had cut a couple weeks ago and get it hauled off. Plus we were able to help a widow in our town get some brush out of her yard and we trimmed another tree back from the road so the school buses don't rub against it anymore. It was a hard five and a half hours in the heat this morning but well worth the investment.

Making New Friends

So I have been checking out some other peoples blogs. This has taken some time but has been well worth it. I have read about an atheist women who believes all Christianity to be a cult. I also have read about a artist who is fighting depression, and a man who is finding Jesus in interesting places. They have some interesting blogs some I agree with some I don't but they all have the courage to post what they think and that is too cool that they can be that honest.

Kids Krusade

Tonight we start Kids Krusade. I will be driving the van for the kids picking them up and dropping them off. It should be allot of fun. It is always a blast seeing them have their boys against girls offering war and watching all the little games they play. So come enjoy the fun @ Gateway Church in Welch, OK.

Martha Tennison Story

When Pastor Tennison was here she told a story of a young women dying of cancer. This women was in her twenty's she had a small boy and her husband had left her because he could not handle the pressure of the situation. This situation was told to a pastor by a women in the church who had been visiting and praying for this young woman. She asked the pastor to come pray for the young woman and the pastor told her he would. The pastor makes it to the house and the little boy opens the door and asks him if he is "The man of God". The pastor tells him yes and asks why the little boy asked him that. The little boy told him the woman from church told him when "The Man of God" comes your mom will be healed. The pastor prayed for the woman and she received God as her savior and was healed that same day. That is not the exact story word for word as Pastor Tennison told it but the point was are you "The Man of God"? I am not sure I am but I would like to be.